All posts by jb38
Below are all of jb38's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Jol: Shirehampton covers a rather large area, and although that said by MikeP with regards to the radiation pattern of the aerial is quite correct it all depends on your location within said area, as Shirehampton is on the outer edge of the left hand lobe of Mendips LBS transmitter, likewise a similar situation applying to reception from Bristol Kings Weston's LBS transmitter.
Knowledge your location is essential in situations such as yours, (i.e: a post code or that of a nearby shop incl post office being suffice) as a test code from the Shirehampton area of BS11 9SJ (Pembroke Ave) indicated reception of Made in Bristol as being possible from both Mendip or the more local (1mile) Bristol Kings Weston transmitter, a subsequent Google earth (rooftop) check revealing a mix of aerials facing towards either of the two.
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Jol: In addition to that said with regards to aerial direction, have a look up at your aerial and check the polarity its mounted on, if its vertically mounted (elements facing up/down) then its facing towards Kings Weston, as Mendip uses horizontal polarity (elements flat).
You should also try carrying out a manual tune signal test on the Mux channel used by Made in Bristol, this being Mux51 in the case of Mendip, whereas Kings Weston uses Mux30.
The procedure being, go into your TV (or boxes) tuning menu and select "manual" tune followed by entering one of the aforementioned Mux numbers into the box then pausing at this point, do *not" press search or scan, because any traces of a signal is being received (nomatter how low) the level and quality of will appear in the strength / quality bars.
Needless to say, if anything around 50% or so is being indicated, press search or scan to store same.
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John: An easy way of determining whether your box is faulty or not is simply by carrying out (in turn) a test recording on each of the two channels in question, viewing the programme being recorded for a similar length of time as is known between break ups.
If no breaks up were observed when viewing the signal directly during recording but are on playback, then as MikeP has suggested, the recording side of your box is defective, your only option then being to try carrying out a complete reset followed by a second test similar to that already done. Although in order to preserve your recordings do *not* select the option of reformatting the drive (seen during the reset procedure) although you may eventually have to resort to this if the reset fails to resolve the problem.
That said, if on the other hand break ups are seen on direct viewing during recording, then that can be caused by a number of things including an intermittent fault on the dishes LNB etc, that is, if not the box itself.
Further advice dependant on outcome of test.
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Pauline: According to information seen, True Christmas was removed from 74 on the G-Man multiplex and moved to the Local/Comux. You will have to carry out a retune in order to recover this programme, that is assuming that you are within the coverage area of this transmitter? unable to determine unless your post code is known, or at least one from somewhere nearby, e.g: shop incl Post Office
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albert mc intyre: This programme is broadcast by what's known as a local multiplex, which is a low powered transmitter feeding into a directional aerial system designed to cover a specific area, your location possibly being outwith the coverage area of same. Unable to check as to whether you are or not unless your post code (or one from a nearby shop inc post office) is known.
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Alistair Broadley: If the residents in question are those in the bungalows located on the North side of Straik Road? then there isn't really an easy fix to this problem, as its one which can occasionally occur when a new build of a taller nature happens to be located directly in the line-of-sight of the signal path from a transmitter, the situation being somewhat worse the closer the receiving aerial's are to said obstruction.
On the subject of possibly tuning to an alternative station, there isn't any!, as Durris @11 miles / 198 degrees is the only transmitter that covers the area, a reception predictor check based on the post code of the BP garage indicating first class reception from same in that area, no (or very few) rooftop aerials being seen via a Google earth rooftop check of the properties allegedly affected by the obstruction, inclined to suggest that indoor aerials are possibly being used.
The best policy would be to have an aerial installer visit the properties in question and make an assessment of the situation, as signal tests have to be carried out to determine if the problem can be rectified by simply moving the aerials to a slightly different position to where they are presently sited.
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tracy darlington: If, as appearances could suggest you are connected into a communal aerial system? then check if anyone else in the block is also being affected by the problem, and if they are, then the matter should be referred to either the landlord or the building maintenance department, as they are responsible for the maintenance / repair of the system.
If though on the other hand they are not, then check the jumper lead connecting your TV into the wall socket etc.
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David Barnett: Although that said by StevensOnln1 is perfectly correct, it would have been of assistance as far as assessing the situation is concerned if the post code of the location in question had been given. (one from nearby also suffice, e.g: shop inc post office)
Purely out of curiosity, when you tried pointing the aerial to Winter Hill, were the results obtained with the aerial having been turned to horizontal polarity for this transmitter? And on the subject of polarity, are many aerials in your mother in law's area seen to be set on horizontal polarity for reception from Winter Hill?
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Andy: Provided that your TV or box was not in the process of updating when the power dropped out? then you shouldn't really have lost anything, however as you partially have done and with retuning not having rectified the problem, try carrying out a full reset on your receiver, this on some models called "first time installation" / "default setting" etc.
That said is on the assumption that your Freeview reception is from the Sandy Heath transmitter via normal aerial system (not communal), if it isnt? then a post code will be required for signal strength assessment purposes.
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Thursday 29 September 2016 12:14AM
Mark L / et all: The reception problems experienced by not only yourself, but numerous other viewers residing within the coverage area's of both Caradon and Ridge Hill etc is more likely related to atmospheric pressure problems rather than anything connected with a transmission fault, which there isn't!, as a series of high pressure zones started sweeping across South Western areas of the UK from West to East since late Monday evening, the intensity / pattern of said zones constantly changing, this invariably resulting in spells of patchy (or no) reception in a variety of areas.
Checks made on the pressure maps (ack: William. R. Hepburn) forecasting the situation as not really changing until late tomorrow (29th) evening before unfortunately returning around the 3rd October, albeit on this occasion in a sweeping upwards (South to North) fashion.
Needless to say, absolutely nothing can be done to help alleviate this type of situation except to wait until it clears, the main thing for anyone to remember being to refrain from being tempted to carry out a retune during these conditions, as all that achieves is to wipe out everything stored in the tuners memory system the instant "search or scan" is pressed, this then requiring a series of retunes in an attempt to recover the channels, whereas normally they would have returned of their own accord when the signal level lifted to normal.